Scientists May Have Identified 'Sleep Switch' That Could Put an End to Sleepless Nights

Scientists May Have Identified 'Sleep Switch' That Could Put an End to Sleepless Nights

According to the CDC, 1 in 3 americans don’t get enough sleep.??And if you have chronic insomnia, you know just how troubling that can be.??But a new study published in the journal Nature suggests that there may be what researcher are calling a “sleep switch”-??That could allow us to better control our slumber.??Past studies from researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center identified certain nerves they believed may deactivate the brain allowing us to sleep.??And their new study tested this theory by activating or inhibiting these neurons in genetically engineered mice.??They found that activating the neuron cluster does in-fact induce sleep, though they only documented Non-REM sleep- or sleep without dreams.??And they think these neurons need to be working properly for you to sleep normally.??And since a 2014 study by the same researchers found that Alzheimer’s patients who suffered from sleep problems had damage to these nerve areas-??It seems that if these neurons are impaired, there’s a good chance you’ll have trouble sleeping.

??So while this study is still just the tip of the iceberg in understanding exactly why and how we sleep-??Maybe someday going to bed will be as easy as turning out the lights.